STMA track teams dominate Delano Invitational

STMA senior sprinter Nicole Mlsna gets a strong start out of the gate, as freshman teammate Cherish Witherspoon holds her blocks during last Thursday’s meet at Delano. (Photo by Bill Halldin)

STMA sophomore Elias Moore leaps during the 300-yard hurdles. Moore’s fourth-place time of 45.22 helped the Knights run away with the Delano Meet. (Photo by Bill Nord)

By Rob LaPlante

Crow River News Sports

The St. Michael-Albertville track teams took to the outdoors on April 25 in the Delano Invitational and the results were a bunch of firsts.

Making its first appearance of the season on the outdoor track, both the girls and boys squads ran away with their respective meets. The girls finished first out of seven teams with a score of 195 points. Waconia finished second with 143 points. The boys scored 267.75 points. Finishing a distant second was Waconia’s 94.

St. Peter, Holy Family Catholic, Watertown-Mayer, Delano and Mayer Lutheran rounded out the field.

The Knights also placed first in three of the four relay events. Finishing first in the 4×200 relay (1:51.35) was the tandem of eighth grader Anna Keefer, Perry, Autio and sophomore Maddie Jesser. The 4×400 team of King, Heil, freshman Leah Johnson and Sjelin finished first in 4:18.79. The same tandem, with the exception of senior Taylor Poss in Heil’s spot finished first in the 4×800 in 10:04.01.

“As long as I’ve been the coach, we’ve never won the Delano Invite,” said STMA girls’ coach Jason Massmann.

Like the girls, the boys relay teams took first in three of four events. The team of Peterson, junior Josh Hesser, senior Tyler Berhow and junior Tyler Zahler won the 4×100 (44.97). The team of Ferry, senior David Anderson, senior Cole Krutzig and Tracy won the 4×400 (3:35.89). The tandem of Krutzig, Anderson, Tracy and junior Keith Jorgensen took home the 4×800 in 8:25.01.

“We did pretty well at Delano,” said STMA boys’ head coach Curt Hahn. “We’re probably a bigger school than most that competes there. This was our second or third year in a row we won that meet.”

Knights send eight to Hamline Elite Meet

Brian Ferry, Brendan Sage, Cole Krutzig, Josh Tracy and David Anderson represented the boys as did Whitney Perry, Lizzy Heil and Erin Autio for the girls at this year’s Hamline Elite Meet held April 26 at Hamline University.

Ferry placed fifth in the 100-meter hurdles (15.14) and sixth in the 300-yard hurdles (41.07). Ferry, along with Krutzig, Tracy and Anderson finished fourth with a time of 3:26.78 in the 4×400 relay. Sage was the other Knight to place, finishing 10th in the 1600 meter with a time of 4:28.52.

In girls competition, Perry finished 16th in the 100 meter (12.90), Heil sixth in the 1600 meter (5:16.73) and Autio finished second in the triple jump with a leap of 37-00.50.

“Erin has had a nice season so far this year,” Massmann said. “She continues to get better and her jump of 37 nearly beat her personal best of 37-08 she set at Delano.”

This was the first time Autio, Perry and Heil participated at the Hamline Elite Meet and Massmann said it was nice to see some new faces participate. A year ago, both King and Sjelin competed.

“You get some of the best performers together prior to the state meet,” Massmann said. “It’s good for the girls to get the experience of participating on the Hamline track.”

Unlike Massmann, Hahn said he usually doesn’t put too much emphasis on the elite meet. But due to the poor weather this spring, he thought it was a good idea to send some boys.

“I don’t put a lot of stock in it,” Hahn said. “This was the biggest group we’ve ever taken down there. With the condensed schedule, it gives the kids another chance to run.”